Questions & Answers about the DEI Empowerment Conference

You should have received a reminder email from DEI Conference Host <no-reply.zoom.us> with your conference session details. Check your junk or spam folder if you have not seen this email come through.  Each session has a unique link, so don’t forget to log in through the meeting invite or from the reminder email you received.

You should receive a reminder email from DEI Conference Host <no-reply.zoom.us> with your conference session details. Check your spam folder if you have not seen this email come through. The reminder email lists the dial-in phone numbers.

Participants in our conference Zoom Webinars are only able to turn on their cameras if the conference production team gives them specific permission during the session.  If you wish to come on camera and turn on your mic to engage with the speaker and the attendees, use the raise hand feature. If we are at a time designated for taking audience input, we may temporarily give you permission to speak and come on camera.

See this article from Zoom that gives you step-by-step instructions for joining and participating in Zoom Webinars.

Most of the presentations will be recorded and available for a limited time on the conference website. Some presentations may not be recorded, for various reasons. For example, this year, we will not be recording the following presentations: Mental Health & Anti-Racism: Prioritizing Wellness in the Workplace (6/14, 8 a.m.) and Creating and Sustaining an Inclusive Workplace Culture using the 3 A’s (6/7, 1 p.m.)

Many of the presenters have given us permission to share either the full slide deck or a specific hand-out document. A few presentations may have materials that will not be shared, for various reasons.  The presentation moderator will identify if materials will be shared for the presentation at the start of the webinar. Any materials shared during the presentation will also be available on our website with the recording of the presentation.

Presentation recordings will be added to the conference website within two weeks of the original presentation.

Names and bios for the presenters can be found on the conference website.

We put out a call for speakers, after talking to various state agencies about the kinds of communities and people that they typically don’t hear from or needed staff to learn more about. We reviewed presentation proposals and chose presenters who could speak to the gaps that had been identified. In the selection process, we prioritized people with lived experience of their chosen topic.

As state government, our job is to provide services to all people in Washington. This conference provides the opportunity for state employees to learn more about the lived experiences and challenges of Washingtonians we often don’t reach or hear from. These are people who regularly face systemic barriers, exclusion from accessing government services, harm from policies, or discrimination in the workplace. The conference will help state employees gain knowledge, skills and abilities they need to better meet customer needs and understand their coworkers. Opening it up to all state government employees is a cost-effective way to do this.